Weather Forecast

Four Seas sets sail in Wadena

Photo by Rachelle Klemme The Four Seas Buffet has been busy since its May 2 opening, but four of the staff were able to pose for a photo. From left, co-owner Shufa "Sunny" Li, Manager Heidi Gonzales-Quevedo, Yvette Gonzales-Quevedo and Karen He.

After months of a "Coming Soon" sign at North Point Plaza by U.S. Highway 71, Four Seas Buffet is here.

The Chinese restaurant had its grand opening on May 2, and by noon the parking lot was packed.

"We have a variety of food," manager Heidi Gonzales-Quevedo said. "We have Chinese food of course and some American for the little ones. And we have ice cream and soup and desserts."

There are four buffet tables including a dessert and salad bar. Gonzales-Quevedo said there are more than 60 items to choose from.

Besides the sit-down buffet option, there is buffet takeout and the option to order off the menu.

The order menu has more than 100 items and includes lunch specials, dinner combinations, seafood, meatless options and "Dieters Gourmet."

"We had our eyes set on Wadena about two years ago," Gonzales-Quevedo said. "We know we were going to come to Wadena eventually - just timing, and finding the right location."

She said she used to work elsewhere in Minnesota, and customers kept asking them to open up a restaurant in Park Rapids. They were already looking at Wadena but couldn't see a location they wanted yet, so they opened up their Park Rapids restaurant in 2010.

After things settle down in Wadena about two or three months down the road, they plan to start another restaurant in Sauk Centre.

"And then when Sauk Centre opens up, I'll be traveling between all the restaurants," Gonzales-Quevedo said.

Gonzales-Quevedo is originally from northeastern China but has lived in the United States for a long time and Minnesota on and off for about three years. She said that the weather was not that hard to get used to.

"We would like to thank the community for supporting us, and we would like to let them know that we are open seven days a week, all week long, 11 to 9 every day," Gonzales-Quevedo said.